The investigations showed “that it is simply not plausible that this virus was introduced to the Wuhan market in any way other than through the wild animal trade,” said one of the authors of the studies, virologist Michael Worobey from the University of Wuhan Arizona, on Tuesday.
The work was published in the journal “Science”. Study author Worobey signed an open letter last year calling for the theory of a laboratory accident at the Institute of Virology in Wuhan to be further examined. The knowledge gained since then would have made him rethink, the virologist said. The virus “emerged in this market and spread from there.”
“Possible is not the same as probable”
Study co-author Kristian Andersen of the Scripps Research Institute said the theory of a lab leak has not been disproved. But it is important to understand “that there are possible and probable scenarios. And that possible is not the same as probable.”
The two studies on the origin of the corona had already been published as so-called preprints. After an assessment by independent experts, they are now appearing in the renowned journal “Science”.
The first research analyzed the geographic distribution of the first Covid cases in December 2019, showing that they were closely clustered around the Huanan Animal Market in Wuhan. Some of the first patients who had not visited the market in the recent past lived in the immediate vicinity of the market.
Foxes and raccoon dogs sold
The researchers also analyzed virus samples that they had taken on the market in January 2020. According to the information, these were concentrated in the southwestern part of the market, where live animals such as foxes and raccoon dogs were sold.
The second study carried out a genome analysis of the virus that was detected in the first corona patients. The researchers examined two tuning lines of the pathogen. They concluded that both jumped from animals in the market to humans in separate events, in November and December 2019. It is unlikely that the virus circulated in humans before November 2019, the scientists wrote.
The corona pandemic started in Wuhan at the end of 2019. It was soon speculated that the virus could have escaped in an accident at the institute of virology in Wuhan, where research on corona viruses is carried out. The Chinese government vigorously denies this.
WHO: “Laboratory theory extremely unlikely”
An international team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) was only able to visit Wuhan in January 2021. However, the report presented by the experts did not provide any clear results on the origin of the pandemic. At the time, the WHO experts classified the so-called laboratory theory as “extremely unlikely”.
However, doubts and criticism quickly arose about the report and the investigation itself. Many countries have expressed concern that international experts have been denied access to important data in their investigation in China. The Chinese government has so far vehemently rejected further investigations, as requested by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Source: Nachrichten
